Cut Time (Alla Breve)
Cut time, or alla breve, is 2/2 meter: two half-note beats fill each bar. On the staff it is often shown as a C crossed by a vertical line.
- crossed C
- 2/2
- half-note beat
What does the symbol tell you?
A C-shaped sign with a vertical stroke through it is the common symbol for alla breve. It stands for 2/2, not a request to skip half the notes. Two half notes, four quarter notes or eight eighth notes can all fill one bar.
How do you count cut time?
Say '1 and 2 and' while four quarter notes pass. The numbers mark the two half-note beats; the 'ands' mark the quarters between them. If you conduct in two, the measure is easier to follow at a brisk pace than if you try to give every quarter equal weight.
Does cut time automatically double the speed?
No. Switching a printed 4/4 sign to 2/2 changes the beat unit and grouping; it does not specify a new number of seconds per note. A composer can add a metronome marking or a metric relationship to fix the exact pace.
How does it compare with common time?
Common time is 4/4 and normally invites four quarter-note beats per bar. Cut time groups the same four quarter-note units into two half-note beats. Listen to one bar while counting four, then while counting two; the accents and conducting gesture change even if the written notes remain identical.
Keep going
Everything in time signatures
- Common Time
- Cut Time (Alla Breve)